Stirrup.



PATENTED NOV. 1.7, 1903.

W. L. WARD..

STIRRUP.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 16, 1903.

No MODEL.

lll//I//llll/ THE NOHRIS PETERS CO., WOYO-LITNOJWASHIMDTON, D.

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- UNITED vSTATES j PATENT OFFICE.

Patented November 17, 190s.

STIRRUP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 744,653, dated November 17, 1903. Application filed January 16, 1903. Serial No. 139,830. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. WARD, a

citizen `of the United States, residing at Wa tauga Falls, in the county of Watauga and State of North Carolina, have invented new and useful Improvements in Stirrups, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to stirrups,`and has for its object to provide a stirrup from which the foot of the rider can be readily detached in case of accident. A

The peculiar construction of device, as well as the method of detaching the foot, will be described hereinafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a stirrup constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is an end view of the'stirrup, and Fig. 4 is a vertical crosssectional view.

The referencenumeral 1 designates a curved arm having a laterally-projecting tread or rest 2 to be engaged by the foot. Depending from the respective ends of the rest 2 are bearings 3 and 4,which carry a laterallydisposed rotating shaft 5. On one end of the shaft is a pivoted lever 6. This leveris curved and projects upward and toward the bar 1, as will be explained hereinafter. The upper extremity of lthe arm 1 is'bifurcated or split, as at 7, and within the split portion is an eccentrically-pivoted disk8, having a cut-out portion or slot 9 therein.

A stirrup-ring 10 is designed to engage'the cut-out portion 9 ofthe disk 8, and the ring is held in locked position therewith by means of a pivoted latch-lever 11, which is secured to the arm 1 intermediate its ends and is provided with a bifurcated lower end 12. The bifurcated end of the locking-lever 11 is engaged by a lug or projection 13, carried by av crank 14, rigidly secured tothe shaft 5. The opposite side of thecrank 14 is provided with a similar lu g or projection 15, which is positioned intermediate itsendsand projects between two depending springstrips 16 and 17, said crank being heldl against swinging'beyond the edges of the arm 1 Vby stops or lugs 18 and 19.

All the parts being assembled, the operation of the device will be as follows:v Suppose the stirrup is secured to its strap by the ring 10, so that the parts will` be inthe position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. If by accident the person is thrown forward or backward, the

instep of his foot will engage the curved lever 6, which is spring-pressed by aspring 20and normally rests adjacent to the disk 8. The pull'on the lever 6 will cause it to move in a lateral direction, rotating the shaft 5, so as to oscillate or rock the crank 14. The projection on the crank being in engagement with the bifurcated portion of the lever 1l, the upper extremity will be thrown out of engagement with the slotted portion of the disk 8, and as the resistance afforded by the llink 10 is on an eccentric to the pivotalconnection o'f the disk the disk will be caused to rotate, so that the slot will be inverted, thereby permitting the'stirrup to become detached from the ring or link 10. The movement of the crank will be limited by the lugs or stopsl 18 and 19, and inasmuch as the spring-strips engage the respective sides of the projection 15 the crank will be promptly returned to its normal position as soon as pressure is relieved on lever 6. If by chance the rider is thrown sidewise from the horse, the foot can become detached from the stirrup, owing to lthe fact that the lever 6 is pivtally secured4 1. In a safety-stirrup, the combination of I a stirrup device comprising an` upwardlycurvedside arm and a tread, the upperA end of the side arm having a slotted disk eccentrically mounted therein, a shaft held by the stirrup device proper, a movable stirrup side pivotally connected to one end of the shaft and normally held in closed position in contact with the disk, a locking-lever v4pivotally attached to the stirrup side and havingits IOO upper end normally extending into the slot of the disk, and a link attached to the disk at one side of the pivotal point thereof.

2. In a safety-stirrup, the combination of a stirrup having a side member with a rotatable device eccentrically mounted in the upper end thereof and formed with a slot, a rock-shaft held by the stirrup, a lever pivoted to one end of said rock-shaft and having the upper end normally in engagement With the rotatable device, means on the stirrup for prevent-ing the rotatable device from moving and actuated by the rock-shaft, and a link attached to said rotatable device and adapted to receive the hanger strap of a saddle.

3. Asafety-stirrup comprising an upwardlyextending side arm and a tread, a locking device pivotally mounted on the arm, a rotatable disk eccentrically held in the upper end of the arm and having a slot therein to receive the upper end of the locking device, and means for releasing the disk from engagement with the locking device.

4. A stirrup having a rotatable locking device eccentrically mounted in one of the sides thereof and provided with a slot, the opposite side of the stirrup being pivoted to open outwardly and having its upper end normally held in engagement with the rotatable device, a locking device pivotally mounted on the side of the stirrup carrying the rotatable device to engage the slot in the latter, and means operative by the pivoted side of the stirrup for releasing the locking device from the rotatable device.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

v WILLIAM L. WARD.

Witnesses:

J oHN WARD, W. J. FARTHING. 

